Affordable and Aston Martin are incompatible terms, but the AMV8 Vantage promises to be less expensive than the company's Vanquish or DB9, and smaller than both, although it shares the DB9's aluminum platform. The new two-seater is a nearly carbon copy of the so-called concept displayed at the 2003 Detroit show and will be positioned to compete with the hotter members of the Porsche 911 family. That means pricing just below the $100,000 watershed and at least 350 horsepower from its Jaguar-derived 4.3-liter V-8. There will be two transmissions—manual and automatic, both six-speeds. With its engine up front and transmission at the rear, the coupe is expected to roll with a 50/50 fore-and-aft weight distribution. The new car was conceived to take Aston's annual sales volume to about 5000 units, a little more than Ferrari's. The AMV8 Vantage should be in showrooms in late '05, and a convertible Volante version is expected in '06.

The Best and Others to Consider

The Editors' Rating summarizes a vehicle's overall degree of excellence and is determined by our editors, who evaluate hundreds of vehicles every year and consider numerous factors both objective and subjective.

Editors' Rating

Starting at

$90,450

The 911 debuted in the 1960s and remains at the pinnacle of automobiledom while staying true to its roots as the quintessential sports car.

The Editors' Rating summarizes a vehicle's overall degree of excellence and is determined by our editors, who evaluate hundreds of vehicles every year and consider numerous factors both objective and subjective.

Editors' Rating

Starting at

$80,445

Think of the Corvette Z06 as the most amazing version of a sports car that is already amazing by anyone’s measure.

The Editors' Rating summarizes a vehicle's overall degree of excellence and is determined by our editors, who evaluate hundreds of vehicles every year and consider numerous factors both objective and subjective.

Editors' Rating

Starting at

$133,395

The gullwings are gone, but the GT is still set to swoop in and snag buyers away from its archnemesis, the Porsche 911.